Reedy helps launch TN Sportsmen's Caucus

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Jay Reedy, a Republican state representative from Erin, has announced the formation of the Tennessee Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus in the General Assembly.

"We hope our colleagues will join us in this important endeavor to protect and advance these great traditions and support professional fish and wildlife management," Reedy said in December. "Hunting, fishing, shooting, trapping and all of our outdoor recreational activities are truly a way of life here in Tennessee. Let's do all we can to protect these traditions for future generations."

The Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus is a bipartisan and bicameral caucus with a mission of protecting and advancing "the traditional right" of Volunteer State sportsmen to pursue outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, officials said.

Additionally, the caucus will seek to ensure the state's sportsmen and sportsmen have "reasonable access to public lands," to safeguard the integrity of the American System of Conservation funding and to support efforts to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife habitats and the maintenance and growth of outdoor industries and activities.

State Sen. Mike Bell, a Republican from Riceville, joined Reedy in the announcement of the group.

"In addition to protecting fishing and hunting for future generations of Tennesseans to enjoy, the almost 1 million hunters and anglers in our state spend about $2.9 billion annually and support over 27,000 jobs," Bell said. "They are a very important part of our economy.

"I am very encouraged about the feedback we have already received about this caucus and look forward to working with Rep. Reedy and other colleagues to support our sportsmen and women in this state."

The Tennessee Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus is a member of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses, a bipartisan group.

The NASC was developed in 2004 by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, and is the only nationwide program uniting legislators interested in protecting and advancing their state's rich traditions of hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping, according to the organization's website.